Filling valve for lighter tanks



Feb. 6, 1962 E. PROJAHN FILLING VALVE FOR LIGHTER TANKS Filed April 18,1960 Fig. 2

Fig. 3

3,019,807 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 3,019,807 FILLING VALVE FOR LIGHTERTANKS Emil Proiahn, Nurnberg, Germany, assigner to Gebruder Kollisch,Nnrnberg, Germany Filed Apr. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 22,922 Claims priority,application Germany Nov. 13, 1959 7 Claims. (Cl. 137-199) The presentinvention relates to a filling valve for the filling of permanentlybuilt-in or exchangeable tanks or reservoirs for lighters, especially oftanks or reservoirs to be filled with liquefied gas.

In connection with filling valves for lighter tanks, valves are knownwhich in addition to the filling passage also comprise a ventingpassage. These known valves have either a hollow needle `adapted to beinserted 'into the valve shank of an aerosol or filling container, orthey are designed as ball valves.

Valves of this type have the drawback that they do not worksatisfactorily, or cause a loss in fluid. Thus, when employing a ballvalve, gas escapes into the open air taking the path of leastresistance.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide afilling valve for lighter tanks or reservoirs,

which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a filling valve forlighter tanks or reservoirs, which will prevent the liquefied gas fromescaping around the valve shank toward the outside.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a filling valveof the type set forth in the preceding paragraphs, which will permit thepassage of gas but will prevent the passage of liquid, such as liquefiedgas.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary elevation of a filling container such as anaerosol can provided with a spray or filling nozzle having a conical tipof synthetic material.

FIG. 2 shows a gas tank or reservoir of a lighter with the filling valvein its filling position.

head 9 when the latter occupies its closing postion as shown in FIG. 3.As will be evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, the valve shank 5 is providedwith a longitudinal bore 10 therethrough and with a transverse bore 11near the lower end of bore 10. As will be seen from the drawing, theinner surface of collar 13 and of rubber seal 7 confine with the outsideof the shank 5 a passage for the air and gas from the tank or reservoir.

14 is a filling or aerosol container provided with a filling or spraynozzle 8 having a tip 8a of synthetic material, as for instance rubberfoam 'or plastic.

As will be seen from the drawing, the gas container 1 is provided with acomplete filling valve. The filling process is as follows:

Part 8a of the nozzle 8 is pressed into the funnelshaped part'3a of thenipple 3 of the valve. As a result thereof, valve head 9 is lifted offfrom the rubber seal 7, thereby freeing the transverse bore 11. Theliquefied gas y .then passes from container 14 into thel lightercontainer FIG, 3 corresponds to FIG. 2 with the exception that A thevalve occupies its closing position.

The lling valve according to the present invention for fillingpermanently built-in or exchangeable lighter tanks or reservoirs -ischaracterized primarily by an arrangement of a semi-permeableuni-laterally osmotically acting absorber which allows the passage ofgas and air but prevents the passage of liquid or liquefied gas.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the arrangement shown in FIGS.2 and 3 comprises a gas container or reservoir l having mounted thereona valve holder 2. Movably arranged in the valve holder 2 is a valvenipple 3 which is continuously urged in upward or closing direction bymeans of a spring 4. rl`he valve nipple 3 comprises a shank 5 and aconically shaped valve head 9 connected thereto or integral with saidshank. The valve holder 2 is provided with an inwardly extending collar13 having mounted thereon an absorber ring 6, the upper surface of whichis engaged by the lower end of spring 4 whereas the upper end of spring4 engages the upper end of the nipple 3. It will thus be evident thatthe absorber ring 6 is firmly pressed against collar 13 by spring 4. Theabsorber ring is porous and may consist of cardboard, sinter metal, orthe like. It is necessary that the said absorber ring is permeable toair but must be able to prevent the passage of liquid therethrough.

The arrangement shown in the drawings furthermore comprises a rubberring 7 which engages the lower surface of the collar 13 and serves asvalve seat for the valve 1. The air or air-gas mixture in container 1will then escape around valve shank 5 through absorber 6 and betweennipple 3 and valve holder 2.

The absorber 6 according to the invention will assure that the liquefiedgas cannot escape toward the outside around the valve shank. While thegas under pressure is filled into the lighter tank 1, the pressure incontainer 1 is lower than that prevailing in the lling container oraerosol can 14. Absorber 6k has an annular shape and extends aroundvalve shank 5. As stated above, the purpose of the absorber consists inretaining the liquefied gas and to allow the air and gas particles incontainer 1 to escape therefrom to make room for the fresh charge ofliquefied gas.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawings butalso comprises any modifications Within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

l. A filling valve for a tank for liquefied gas comprising: tubularholder means insertable in the upper part of the tank, a valve seat onthe inner end of said holder means, a semi-permeable unilaterallyosmotically acting means in the holder means between the valve seat andthe atmosphere, a valve member extending reciprocably through saidholder means having a valve head engageable with the tank side of saidseat, a spring urging the valve member in a direction to cause the headto engage the seat and yieldable to permit movement of the valve memberto separate the head from the seat, said valve member having meanssealingly engaging the atmosphere side of said semi-permeableuni-laterally osmotically acting means adjacent the valve member whenthe valve head is moved ofi said seat, a filling bore extending into thevalve member from the end opposite the valve head and opening laterallyfrom the valve member adjacent the seat so as to communicate with thetank side of the seat only when the valve head is moved ofi said seat,and a passage leading through said valve seat and along the outside ofthe valve member to the tank side of said semipermeable unilaterallyosmotically acting means for the passage of gas from the tank side ofthe seat while preventing passage of liquid therefrom.

2. A filling valve according to claim l in which said valve head isconical and said valve seat is a fiuid impervious resilient ring.

3. A filling valve for a tank for liquefied gas comprising: tubularholder means insertable in the upper part of the tank, a valve seat onthe inner end of said holder means, a semi-permeable unilaterallyosmotically acting means in the outer end of said holder means, a valvemember reciprocably mounted in said holder means having a shank closelyfitting said semi-permeable unilaterally osmotically acting vmeans whileloosely tting said holder means and seat, a valve head on the valvemember on the tank side of the seat, 4a spring acting on the valvemember to urge the head into sealing engagement with the seat andyiel'dable to pe'rn'iit movement 'of V`the valve member to 'separate thevalve head from the seat, Va lilling bore extending into the valveVmember from the outer end thereof and opening laterally from the shankadjacent the seat, and flange means on the outer end of the valve memberfor engaging the said semi-permeable unilaterally osmotically actingmeans when the vvalve member is moved inwardly to provide for the'supply of liqueed gas to the tank side of the seat with thesimultaneous release of gas only therefrom. p

4. Afilling valve according to claim 3 inwhicli both said valve seat andsaid semi-permeable unilaterally los motically acting means are locatedinside said tubular holder means and said tubular holder means includesan inwardly projecting annular collar betweenand in supportingengagement with said seat and said semi-per# meable unilaterallyosmotically acting means. Y

5. A filling valve for the lling of a lighter tank Vwith liquefied gas,which comprises: tubularV holding inea'ns' insertable into a lightertank to be lled with liq'uee'd gas, said holding means includinga valveseat at the inner end, a valve member reciprocably mounted within saidholding means comprising a shank andhaving' a valve head at the innerend on the tank side of said valve seat for cooperation therewith, saidvalve member having the' outer end thereof provided with liange means,semi-permeable unilaterally osmotically acting means in the outer end ofsaid holdingfmeans beneath the said flange' means onthe valve member forpermitting thepassage of a gaseous medium through said semi-permeableunilatrally osmotically acting means while preventing liquefied gas frompassing therethrough, spring means interposed between said unilaterallyacting means and said flange meansfor urging said valve member in theoutward direction to cause said head to engage said seat, axial passagemeans extending from the outer end of said valve member to a point nearsaid ,valve head, and passage means near the inner end of said axialpassage means and communicating with the tank side of the seat to belled when said valve member is lifted off said valve seat and alsocommunicating with said axial passage means, there also being passagemeans leading from the tankside of the seat through said seat and alongthe yshank of the valve member to the inner side of said semi-permeableunilaterally osmotcally acting means. l v l6. valve accrdingr'to claim 5which said hold'erprneans' includes an inwardly projecting annularcollar between the ends `on the outer surface ot which saidsemi-permeable unilaterally osmotically acting means rests while thesaid valve seat is disposed on the inner side of said collar. l

f7. A` filling device according to claim 6 in which said valve seat is ailud impervious ring;

eferncs Cited inthe tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,558,620`Lis-6e; June '26, 1951 2,576,192 Panik Nov. 27, 1951 2,610,766 onesept. 16, 1952 wijk..

